


Life is Good

by TheLightFury



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aromantic Draco Malfoy, Aromantic Harry Potter, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:01:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29437218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLightFury/pseuds/TheLightFury
Summary: Harry's perfectly happy on his own. But he didn't really expect it to be so lonely. He just wants to be someone's priority every once in a while, is that so wrong?A bullet point fic for Valentine's day, for my aro peeps.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Life is Good

  * After the war, Harry starts Auror training, and Draco starts his house arrest, but both soon realise life is basically intolerable.
  * Harry takes an indefinite sabbatical from training and finds a Mind Healer (with the help of Hermione), and Draco also gets a Mind Healer and uses his copious spare time to work on himself
  * Harry soon realises the Auror’s aren’t for him, but doesn’t know what he wants to do, so repairs Grimmauld Place and focuses on recovering from trauma.
  * Initially, things are okay for him; Ron and Hermione drop by all the time, Neville, Luna, and Ginny all come over regularly for meals and to help with the house, Seamus and Dean invite him to pub nights, the Weasley twins bring by prototypes for him to test, and all his weekends are spent at The Burrow. 
  * But slowly, things change.
  * Ron and Hermione get pregnant. Ginny focuses more on Quidditch. Neville and Luna often tour with her, going off to find odd creatures and plants while she trains. And though they still pop round, and he’s still welcome to talk to them or even go with them on their travels, it just becomes more and more apparent that he doesn’t quite belong.
  * There’s in-jokes he doesn’t get. Touches he’s not blessed with. Glances and smiles that aren’t shared with him. 
  * And it just makes him ache.
  * It’s not that he wants a partner like that—he doesn’t. It’s just that every time he sees them, he’s reminded he’s… Different. And after an entire lifetime of being different, wouldn’t it be lovely to just be _normal,_ for once?
  * Plus, even though his friends know he doesn’t want a partner and they’re happy for him, he still sees the way they look at him sometimes, and hears the way they talk to him. As though they worry. As though they think something’s missing. As though they still don’t always believe he can be happy alone. 
  * But he is. 
  * He just… wants to be someone’s priority every once in a while.
  * Have someone he knows he can call and arrange a movie night with easily, without having to organise babysitters, or check times of portkeys, or hear about how they have to go help the in-laws with something. And he really, _really_ just wants to feel like he can ask for a hug every now and again—or even a sleepover—without being the third-wheel. 
  * Is that so hard?
  * One day, he’s moseying through Diagon Alley looking for a present for Hermione for her birthday when a familiar voice catches his ear, enquiring about a job in the shop, and lays eyes on none other than Draco Malfoy for the first time in years.
  * The manager of the store barely glances at Draco, and when he does, it’s with disgust, and though Draco obviously looks frustrated, he’s nowhere near as mad as Harry expected and simply sighs, turning to leave.
  * But almost walks straight into Harry.
  * For a moment, they both stare at each other, before, for some reason, Harry says that Fortescue’s has got a new flavour of ice cream, and Draco’s stomach rumbles, so they walk down together.
  * It’s awkward and silent for a while, but then Harry kind of blurts out ‘How are things?’ and Draco snorts, insulting him for being so eloquent, and before they know it, somehow, they’re bantering and insulting each other like old friends.
  * Draco tells Harry about how he’s finished House Arrest but it doesn’t feel much different because all of his friends live miles away—some of them on different continents—and Harry catches him up on everything he’s missed with the rest of the Hogwarts lot and on his life.
  * And somehow, almost two hours pass with them just talking. 
  * And it was easy. And _fun._
  * When Harry finally, regretfully says he needs to go, Draco asks if he wants to meet up again for another ice cream, and instantly Harry accepts.
  * They go for ice cream again the next week. Then coffee two weeks after that. And then for a takeaway a week later. And slowly, they go from meeting up once every two weeks, to at least twice a week. Harry introduces Draco to the cinema, Muggle London and bars, and Draco invites Harry to the fields near the Manor for seekers games and baking sessions. 
  * And for once, neither of them feels quite so alone.
  * Neither mention that they were lonely before this. Neither of them mention the fact they don’t want a relationship. And neither even dare think about the fact that they’re terrified one of them is going to kiss them or ask them on a proper date.
  * But both notice how the other one seems less lonely, and all of their friends notice they’re happier.
  * Soon, colder weather draws in, and a few times a week they end up in Grimmauld where there’s less parents and fewer bad memories, watching films on Harry’s TV, or just chatting for hours. 
  * Draco—always the most touchy-feely and the most bratty about it—is the first to place his feet in Harry’s lap, and when he does, the look of terror on Harry’s face is enough for the boys to finally admit they don’t want it to go any further than a long hug or sleepover at times. 
  * The relief both of them feel knowing there will never be any other expectations is so great, neither of them can stop smiling for hours afterwards.
  * From then on, every time the Disney movie turns scary, Draco wastes no time demanding a blanket and a protector, and Harry never fails to pull him closer with a laugh, finally happy he has someone to cuddle with—and if he often chooses Disney movies he knows will make Draco freak out a bit, that’s between him and the Disney movie.
  * (Draco, of course, knows Harry’s game and doesn’t care one bit)
  * Together, the pair finally get the relationship they’ve always wanted; friendship.
  * They meet up a couple of nights a week, both preferring their own company or that of their friends on other nights, and enjoy hanging out together with no expectation other than a good time, a nice meal, and a decent hug when they’re in the mood. 
  * Finally, they have someone to go on holiday with, a ‘date’ to attend conventions that demand a plus one (or want one for moral support), and they have someone they can spend Valentine’s day with if they want to. And on the days they do spend Valentine’s together, they celebrate their friendship with a good bottle of Prosecco, Harry’s best cooking, Draco’s best baking, and a good round of Exploding Snap or one of their favourite movies.
  * And life is good.



**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, come and find me on Tumblr @april-thelightfury115 :)


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